Demonstration of the Instantaneous Pitch Period Indicator in Classrooms of Deaf Children. Final Report.

Dolansky, Ladislav; And Others

A visual rhythm-intonation-duration display called Instantaneous Pitch-period Indicator (Amplitude-Intonation, Duration) (IPPI-AID) was used in several classrooms in a school for the deaf to determine its usefulness as an electromechanical aid for classroom language instruction with speech/language materials. It was found in all classroom levels, from early childhood education to junior high school, that the IPPI-AID motivated the children to increase both quality and variety of their vocalizations. Teacher and student response was enthusiastic. Classroom materials derived from pre-planned speech/language lessons were more effective than expressions developed from spontaneous language activities. Spoken expressions using mostly voiced speech sounds, and permitting prolonged phonations in stressed syllables and words, produced the clearest oscilloscope traces and most discernible rhythm and intonation patterns. Corrective individual instruction during group classroom use was not effective, indicating the need for separate individual instruction for selected children experiencing difficulty learning intensity, rhythm, or intonation aspects of spoken language. Occasional equipment malfunctions indicated the need for a constant availability of engineering assistance for periodic checks, adjustments and redesign of certain parts of the equipment. (Author)